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Nearly all Scottish universities - including Edinburgh, St Andrews, Glasgow and Aberdeen - allow overseas students to use dictionaries.

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'Twerking' is one of 500 words added to the Oxford English...SHARE THIS ARTICLEShareIn total, half of the Russell Group, which is often thought of as the top tier of British universities, sanction the use of dictionaries in exams.

However, Oxford and Cambridge, along with most leading London universities such as University College, King's College, Imperial and LSE, do not allow the practice.

University bosses claim that letting foreign students use dictionaries evens the playing field for all - pointing out that they have to attain a minimum level of English to get a student visa.

SHARE PICTURE+4Prestigious: The University of St Andrews, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met, is one of the elite universities which allows the use of dictionaries

However, some experts have suggested that it is unfair to let one group of students use dictionaries when others are not allowed to do so.

In addition, critics link the regulations to universities' push to recruit more students from outside the EU, who pay fees many times higher than those demanded from British students.

+4Anger: MP Philip Davies said the university rules were 'absolutely ridiculous' and warned that institutions could compromise their standards

Tory MP Philip Davies told MailOnline: 'I think this is absolutely ridiculous. An exam should be the same for everyone and universities shouldn't be bending the rules to help foreign students and giving them qualifications when their standard of English is not up to scratch.

'It is sad that in their desperate rush to get as much money from overseas students as possible that our universities are prepared to compromise on their standards and rigour.'

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, added: 'Once you give a dictionary to the non-English speaker, you're discriminating against English speakers. It's confusing, it's misleading, it's unfair.

'They should not be sacrificing academic integrity to recruit more foreign students.'

Universities UK, the body which represents all higher education institutions, warned that relaxing standards for overseas students could be damaging to academic excellence.

Chief executive Nicola Dandridge said: 'International students are subject to numerous tests to ensure they meet high English language requirements.

'For overseas students to benefit from studying at a UK university, they need a high level of English so that they can complete written assessments and take part in discussions and seminars.

'It is in no one's interest for international students to come to the UK if they are unable to complete their studies because they are struggling with the language.

'Universities routinely offer study support for all students including support for academic writing - this is usually freely available to both international and home students'

A spokesman for the UK Council for International Student Affairs said: 'We would welcome any support for international students.'

MailOnline surveyed a total of 127 universities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Of those, 62 said that they do allow foreign students to use dictionaries in exams, 53 said they do not, and 12 failed to respond.

+4Help: At dozens of universities, students from outside the EU are given permission to take in dictionaries translating between their native language and English

Around a dozen of the 62 universities let all students use dictionaries, regardless of whether or not their first language is English.

Most of the institutions specify that students can only use a translation dictionary, between their own language and English, but some allow them to use regular dictionaries which contain words' definitions in English only.

Nearly all universities say that they check students' dictionaries to ensure that they do not contain any notes or additional material which could fuel suspicion of cheating.

Some only let students use dictionaries which are provided by exam invigilators, in a further attempt to stop students taking advantage of the policy to smuggle in crib sheets.

Universities have been keen to recruit as many students as possible from outside the EU because there is no cap on the level of fees they can charge.

Foreign students typically pay up to £14,000 a year for most courses, compared to a limit of £9,000 for students from the UK and other EU countries.

The Government requires overseas students to sit an English language test in order to qualify for a visa.

In addition, the most prestigious institutions have their own tougher language exam, which they say ensures that all students are completely fluent in English by the time they start their degree.

There is no official Government policy on the use of dictionaries in exams, because as autonomous institutions universities are free to set their own regulations in most areas.

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According to a new study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers have tested a potential anti-aging drug called everolimus (AKA RAD001) — an analog (version) of the drug rapamycin (sirolimus)*.

In previous research, rapamycin extended the life span of mice by 9 to 14%, even when treatment was initiated late in life, and it improved a variety of aging-related conditions in old mice, including tendon stiffening, cardiac dysfunction, cognitive decline, and decreased mobility.

These findings raise the possibility that “mTOR inhibitors”* (like rapamycin and RAD001) may have beneficial effects on aging and aging-related conditions in humans.

Since it would take decades to test the effect of a drug on life span in humans, the researchers at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and affiliates used a proxy: the decline in immune function in seniors’ (age 65 and older) during aging, as assessed by their response to a flu vaccine.

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